I really enjoyed reading the Tao of Pooh. I think that this book is a book of analogies, using Winnie the Pooh. I happen to really like Winnie the Pooh, in fact it was my favorite thing as a young child. So, this book was very easy for me to understand. Putting Taoist perspectives into a children’s book makes it very easy for outsiders to understand (outsiders meaning people outside of the religion). The thing I liked most was that the author used dialogue between the characters to illustrate a Taoist teaching.
The author also describes that Americans are a bunch of busy backsons. Now this means that we are always so busy all the time. We never just sit and rest even when we have free time we always feel the need to do something. Now, I do agree with this, but I disagree that it is a bad thing. Yes we may be busy all of the time, but our generation has been taught to be this way. I know that my parents are constantly running around because they want me and my sisters to do the things that they never could. I have played softball since I was five and they enjoy watching the games. In our culture we are taught to stay busy to stay out of trouble.
I do not really agree that Taoism is the solution to the American problem. I think that we were given free will so that we could do the things that we want to do. The thought that Americans do everything wrong is really quite annoying because if we have done so many wrong things why are we still here? There are plenty of people who take things too far, but the majority of people do not. Yes we could all be more carefree and simple like Pooh, but if everyone was an uncarved block I am not sure how this world would function.
I think you're correct in saying that keeping busy isn't necessarily a bad thing. I don't like how Taoism condoles just sitting around and not "doing" anything. I will say, though, that I think Americans DO have it wrong. There's balance to everything. I'm sure those Norwegian people don't just sit around all day absorbing chi. They have jobs, family, school, extracurricular activities, just like us Americans. Now, why is it that they are so much happier than us? In fact, Americans just keep getting more unhappy, on average. We don't take the time to stop, and do nothing, just for a little bit, to appreciate life, family, nature, simple pleasures that are age old and beautiful.
ReplyDeleteKelsey, I really enjoyed your post (the pink font is a nice touch.)
ReplyDeleteYou make some really good points about the benefits of staying busy- it does keep us out of trouble, it's fantastic to use business to be the best. This speaks truly of your work ethic.
Great job!
I also thought that it was a nice touch that Hoff used dialogue between the characters. At least for me, it really helped to bring the characters of Winnie the Pooh to life. As you mentioned, I don't think being Busy Backsons is a completely bad thing. Yes we should take some time for ourselves and just be, but we also have responsibilities that need to be adhered to. I think what we need to do is find a balance. We shouldn't be always working, because then we don't really have time to enjoy what we're working for: a better life. My parents constantly tell me that I shouldn't overwork myself--that I need to get enough sleep, eat on time, and enjoy time for myself. Just last weekend when I went home, I was reading The Tao of Pooh for our assignment. My dad told me to create a schedule: read for some time and when I can no longer concentrate, to take a break and go watch TV. He encouraged me to alternate between the two. In terms of people always being busy and having something to do, I think sometimes we take the things that are supposed to relax us a bit too far. For example, when people first join a sports team, they may do so because they simply enjoy it. However, it's when they start to become really competitive and let it take over their whole life that it may become an issue. When we get caught up in things, we lose sight of why we did them in the first place--for fun.
ReplyDeleteI liked how Hoff used dialogue, too. It made the book more interesting and an even easier read. I I agree that being a culture of "busy backsons" isn't necessarily a bad thing. However, I do think that most Americans take it to an extreme. As with everything, this needs to be done in moderation, which I think is what Hoff is trying to say. Of course Taoism is never going to change the American way of life but I think it would be ignorant to say that we have nothing to learn from it. We are the most over-worked population in the world. I think we would benefit from a more relaxed, go-with-the-flow attitude, at least some of the time, to balance out our busy, hectic lifestyle.
ReplyDeleteI never really thought about how the world would function if we did slow did. I thought it was a good idea to incorporate taoist beliefs into American society so we aren't as stressful and it would really help people to unwind and that way they would be better individuals. However, after reading your post I do think that this is not completley the solution because without hard working people who are constantly busy the world around us might fall apart.
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